More than 60 Horses Seized in Washington State

More than 60 horses allegedly owned by a woman already facing multiple animal cruelty charges are receiving rehabilitative care after being seized from a Spokane County, Wash., farm last week.

Nancy Hill, director of the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS), said that on Nov. 14 agency personnel discovered the 63 horses without water and with access only to moldy feed. All the seized horses were allegedly malnourished with body condition scores of between 1 and 2.5 on the Henneke Body Condition Scale, she said. Eleven of the horses removed from the premises were taken to a nearby veterinary clinic for treatment, Hill said.

“They were the most severely emaciated and had injuries such as abscesses and cuts,” she said.

The remaining horses were transported to the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center where they are receiving rehabilitative care, Hill said.

Earlier this year, SCRAPS removed 26 allegedly maltreated horses from the same Spokane County property. The horses' owner, Jan L. Hickerson, was charged July 20 with 21 counts of felony animal cruelty, Hill said. Each charge carries potential maximum penalties of up to five years confinement, fines of up to $10,000, or both, Hill said.

Hickerson was unavailable for comment on the July seizure, the subsequent charges, or the Nov. 14 removal.

Charges against Hickerson relative to the Nov. 14 removal are pending, Hill said.

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